


Honor

by thundercaya



Series: Exterminator!Steve (auxiliary) [2]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, Sheriff's Secret Police, the relationship is background chatter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 23:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thundercaya/pseuds/thundercaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Benny’s assignment is Cecil Gershwin Palmer. Not every officer is assigned to a specific citizen, but then, not all citizens need special surveillance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Honor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sciencemyfiction](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sciencemyfiction/gifts).



> This started off as a joke on Tumblr regarding Cecil's roommate from [Everybody Hates Steve](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1042351/chapters/2083035) and [First Date](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1082338).

Benny Contreras is Secret Police, like his father before him.

Of course, Benny doesn't know that. He may never know that. He only knows that a few weeks after his father disappeared, he was selected for the job. The traits that make for good officers tend to run in families, but there can only be one officer at a time from each one. Maybe he'll live long enough to piece it together, and to even be replaced by offspring of his own, but it's more likely that he'll die long before that. In fact, it's almost guaranteed. Contrary to what civilians might think, being an officer of the Sheriff's Secret Police is not much safer than being an ordinary citizen. A tad safer, perhaps, but not much. It doesn't really matter; Benny loves Night Vale with all his heart, and it would be an honor to die for his town.

Benny's assignment is Cecil Gershwin Palmer. Not every officer is assigned to a specific citizen, but then, not all citizens need special surveillance. Cecil is the next Voice of Night Vale, a bridge between the citizens and the Powers that Be. When the City Council decides that the people should know something--or shouldn't--the Voice tells them so. The current Voice has a tail of his own, but Benny is Cecil's. The assignment is simple: monitor who he makes friends with, what he talks about with them, make sure he isn't in a position to pick up on too many radical ideas.

Benny becomes Cecil's roommate. Many personal tails do things like this. It allows them access to things that people might go out of their way to hide from the officers they know are listening at the windows. It's easy enough to get Cecil to agree to the living arrangement; he does need a roommate after returning from Europe, and he and Benny know each other vaguely from high school. 

 

When Cecil finally takes his place as the Voice, Benny doesn't listen to his show. He gets his sleep during Cecil's airtime, because the entire town is doing the job for him. He reads transcripts in the morning to stay caught up, the important parts conveniently highlighted.

Benny doesn't think Cecil is a particularly bad roommate. He certainly doesn't fault Cecil any of his peculiarities--everyone has a few and Benny probably knows better than Cecil why the mirrors need to be covered. And Benny certainly doesn't always remember to take out the trash or wash the dishes when it's his turn. However, during surveillance, Benny becomes increasingly aware of all the annoying and inconsiderate things Cecil does around the apartment when Benny is away. Like never taking his turn to vacuum but always saying that he did, and going through Benny's music collection without asking, and telling all of his guests how ugly he thinks Benny's elephant leg umbrella stand is. What does Cecil know about it? Years ago, Benny's grandmother--Secret Police, though Benny doesn't know that--died protecting the town from a rampaging elephant that escaped from the Curséd Circus. The City Council offered the family the elephant's head to honor her, but they said it was too much. They accepted the leg instead, which was the right choice because the leg seems to still be alive and therefore the head probably is as well. To Benny, the leg symbolizes courage and town pride, things he needs now more than ever.

The worst part is that Benny can't bring any of it up, because he isn't supposed to know about it. This is especially frustrating the day Cecil brings Steve Carlsberg up to the apartment on their first date, and has sex with him in Benny's room. Every officer listens to their fair share of sex. Most, however, rotate assignments. They aren't listening to the same people day in and day out, and accidentally memorizing their sexual habits and tastes. It's awkward enough that Benny has listened to the majority of Cecil's sexual encounters over the last four years; he doesn't need for any of them to take place in his own bedroom.

Of course, Benny's issues with Cecil's romantic interest in Steve Carlsberg date back to the moment they met.  As far as being in a position to pick up radical ideas, Benny doesn't think there's a worse one.

 

_"Shouldn't we put a stop to this? Break them up? Or, why not kill the Exterminator? He's dangerous enough on his own. Why is he allowed to walk freely?"_

_"Because he is valuable."_

_"He doesn't have any special qualities. His skills can be learned."_

_"Yes, CGPHTFB. Learned. Slowly over time. Do you think he got here knowing when to use a sprayer and when to use a shotgun? Do you think his replacement would? Bonemites, pool weasels, various carriers of sand shark flu, invisible tarantulas, huge ants, serial killer bees. No one gets here knowing how to deal with these things, and we can't teach them without admitting they exist. Besides, there's always someone like him. You should remember the one before. The cost of killing him is too great for what little it would accomplish. We're trying something else."_

_"Which is?"_

_"You'll see. Maybe."_

 

Following Cecil on dates with Steve is mind-numbing. Only one mini golf date, then karaoke night after karaoke night, and always the same handful of songs. Benny supposes it could be worse--they could be _bad_ at it--but it still isn't much fun for him. Benny knows that STCRTFB also looks in on the dates. She has other responsibilities now, but she once was Steve's personal tail and she still checks on him fairly often. Not that Benny ever sees her on the job. She's much too good for that, and he only hopes she never sees _him_.

Time spent at Steve's house is even worse. Hours without anything to observe because Steve has soundproofed windows. Benny asks his superiors about _that_ , too.

 

_"The windows are no threat. He doesn't hide his sentiments. Everything he thinks ends up littered all over town in pamphlets at some point. Besides, in exchange for us letting him keep the windows, he lets us raid his house."_

_"We don't need permission to raid houses. We can do it whenever we feel like."_

_"Of course, but properly framed, we can do it without complaints. For most people, the frame of safety is sufficient. For the Exterminator, it's not. But as long as we let him keep his windows, he sees it as a compromise. Besides, CGPHTFB, I would think you'd be glad for the break."_

Benny has to admit he is.

At least Steve is more creative than Cecil. He takes Cecil out where he thinks no one would follow and he explains the phases of the moon. Of course, Benny _does_ follow, though they never see him in the back of Steve's Corolla. It's fascinating, really. Benny never knew how it worked, either. But he isn't supposed to, and neither is Cecil, so Benny steps away to call it in. He doesn't suppose it's a _huge_ deal, and maybe he _could_ let it slide, but it's a good excuse to put some space between himself and the Corolla, rocking with Steve and Cecil's lovemaking. Benny watches a dorsal fin cut through the sand at a distance. Whatever doubts he may have had about Steve's importance, he _does_ know how to keep sand sharks away.

 

Benny gives a more detailed report in person, once Cecil and Steve are in custody.

 _"Did the Voice_ understand _the Exterminator's lesson?"_

_"Yes, he seemed to."_

_"Did_ you _understand it?"_

_"No."_

It isn't a lie; Benny hadn't been able to see the visual aids. He doesn't mention that at the time he wished he could.

 

Benny is allowed to re-educate Cecil himself, and as revenge for karaoke, he plays a song he knows Cecil hates. As revenge for everything else, for his frustration at Cecil as his assignment and as his roommate, Benny gets carried away, goes a little too far, takes more from Cecil than he's supposed to. No one reprimands him, or even mentions it, but Benny isn't asked to re-educate anyone again.

 

The time finally comes when Benny is asked to die for Night Vale. The lottery is approaching, and he's ordered to lose it. Though Benny has questioned his job and superiors every step of the way, by now he knows that they always have good reasons for the things they do and ask of him, so he does not question this. He knows that if he's being asked to die, it's because there's no other way. Although he never had a choice, he accepts. "It is an honor to die for my town," he says, words he doesn't know his grandmother and father said before him.

 

There is no purple slip except the one up his sleeve. Benny thrusts his hand deep into the mass of papers and when he pulls it back out, he clutches his death sentence. His mother cries--first her husband, now her Benjamín, just a few short years apart--and the Secret Police take him away as if he's not one of their own.

As they drive him to the Petting Zoo, his resolve begins to waver. He spent most of his life being afraid. Life in Night Vale is exactly that--fear. But the certainty of this fear is almost too much for him. "Please," he says, voice shaking, "if you know... can you tell me why?"

The officer in the passenger seat glances at the one driving. He nods, giving her clearance to speak.

"We need the Voice to move in with the Exterminator."

Benny lifts his head.

" _What_?"

"Their dispositions clash. Push them together. Let them self-destruct. Turn the town against the Exterminator. Further endear the town to the Voice."

"That's a good plan," Benny admits softly, lowering his head again. It sounds like something STCRTFB would think of, and it makes perfect sense. Cecil needs someone more patient and communicative. Steve needs someone more thoughtful and mature. Sex can't sustain them forever if they don't have enough time apart. It's Steve's space; he'll break first. "But... I have to die for this? I couldn't've... kicked him out?"

It's pure curiosity and speculation--everyone saw Benny pull the purple slip. His loss was announced on the radio. There's no going back on the plan, but he just has to know.

"Throw the Voice out on the street? The town would turn against _you_."

Of course. And for someone like Benny who loves Night Vale with all his heart, to be hated by the town would be worse than death.

"Yes, of course," he says, closing his eyes in a failed attempt to keep back his tears. "Thank you."

Benny Contreras is Secret Police, like his father before him, and it is an honor to die for his town.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be funny. Where did I go wrong?


End file.
